Need to Boost Network...

[nat_wheatley]

I try to avoid posting subjects off topic here at all costs, but this is driving me nuts, and I've tried everything I know to do to try to resolve it.

Our internet(comcast) comes into the house, and is fed to a Linksys router. I have a Linksys range extender in an outbuilding about 200' from the house. The range extender is fed to a third building(metal) via wired (buried) connection approx 300' long. The internet connection at the end of the run is marginally OK.

I'm wondering if there's anyway to boost it at any point along the line? We need a little more speed at the end of the run.

Thanks

[MogulTx]

Man can I sympathize with you... I will be watching the thread to see if anything can be done. My cable is in my house and runs 200-ish feet to my metal barn (where the shopbot lives). I can not get a wireless signal out there and I can not seem to get a strong enough wired signal. There has to be a way, but I will be watching the great minds on here to see what THEY would do.

MGM

[Bob Eustace]

Had a simillar problem over much shorter distances than you Nat! Spents hundreds trying different brands of gear and gave up! Bought a wireless gateway (Sierra) and pay extra each month but now have good speed (10mbs) but only 8 gig a month.

[srwtlc]

Nat,

Have you tried running a speed test starting at one end of the chain and then again at the next junction and so on. Speed Test (http://www.speedtest.net/) Run the speed test right at the source to make sure you're getting the stated up/down speed you're paying your ISP for.

Depending on the router and the firmware it's using, you can boost the radio power (TX power) to give the signal a bit more strength. I have a Linksys WRT54G/GL/GS and have flashed the firmware with a different one from www.dd-wrt.com (http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index) and it allows the TX power to be tweaked higher/stronger. Check your model # to see if there's one for yours if you want to attempt flashing it (it's not hard, just follow the instructions so you don't brick it).

You could try some different antennas or different positions. I made a tin cantenna a while back that helped to get my wireless signal through a metal sided shop wall to be more reliable.

Sometimes the wireless channel in use can conflict with other devices like cordless phones etc. and switching to a different channel can help.

Deteriorated underground wiring.

Find the weak link and go from there.

[Brady Watson]

I haven't tried these personally, but I have them in my sights for an affordable network repeater: http://www.open-mesh.com/

-B

[donek]

Why not just run a CAT5 cable and put a second router in the shop? Or a switch and hard wire all your shop connections.

Call me old school, but I hate wireless network. We're wired completely. To get the cable to the shop, I had my sprinkler buddy use a pipe puller to pull sprinkler pipe from the house to the shop. We then just fed CAT5 through the sprinkler pipe. You could always run it through the air if it's not too far or install a support pole.

[gene]

Scott,
Where can i find out more about signal boosting ? I have a linksys N band router and my shop is about 125 to 150 ft and ths signal is poor but livable :o. I could definately use more speed . Thank you

[srwtlc]

Gene,

When you log on to the web interface of your router (usually something like 192.168.1.1 or something similar, which should be in the manual), in the wireless setting and maybe advanced settings, look for TX Power or something related to the power of the radio. If you don't have that option with the default firmware of the router, you can check the database on DD-WRT (http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index) to see if your router is supported for using their firmware. Here's a shot of that setting on mine. Be careful though, as you are overclocking, and that can overheat the chip if taken too high.

[nat_wheatley]

Thanks for the replies,

Bob,

Can I ask how it costs per month?

Scott,

I'll look into boosting the radio power, sounds promising....

Tried many different positions (no pun intended), haven't tried a different antenna on the router (Linksys), but may. Tried the cantenna a few years ago...

Brady,

When on my run would I use the repeater, I've never been clear how those are used. I have heard them recommended before though.

Donek,

Wired connection does come right into the shop, and run into a (cheap) switch which is slowing it down a little. Our switch may need to be replaced with a router for starters.

[rb99]

I use eGenus wireless routers to go 3 Km to my parents house to share internet and also give my bot access. Very fast and reliable.

[donek]

Donek,

Wired connection does come right into the shop, and run into a (cheap) switch which is slowing it down a little. Our switch may need to be replaced with a router for starters.

Sorry. I miss read your original post. Based on this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/22511-42-cable-long-quot-long-quot
I would say you're likely at the limit of your cable length. I've not read more in detail, but it almost sounds as if a router or switch in the middle of that cable would boost the signal. If there is 300ft between the house and the shop, then your cable in the house and shop is probably another 75 to 100ft. putting you 75 to 100 ft over the limit.

[bob_s]

I bought a net gear 2500wp extender for about $75. It gave me the signal I needed to get good wireless in the shop. The trick was to put it where it got full signal and could "see" the shop better than the house router

[nailzscott]

I bought 2 of the Zyxel wap 3205 units. It can be set to act as a network repeater. After setting it up, I set it on a window ledge of shop and it picks up my home wireless signal and that router is in a home office at the far end rear of the house. The home wireless unit is about 185 feet from the router and works well. Building structures may vary but the first worked well enough that I bought a second one to use in an old church that was repeatedly added on to. It works well there too.

I bought them at amazon for about $40 each.

http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Ethernet-Universal-Repeater-WAP3205v2/dp/B00BZBZZVW/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1/183-0794740-9604763?ie=UTF8&qid=1387433761&sr=8-1&keywords=zyxel+wap+3205

The installation instructions were a little vague; so if someone gets one, let me know and I can pass along some notes that will help.

[tri4sale]

Our internet(comcast) comes into the house, and is fed to a Linksys router. I have a Linksys range extender in an outbuilding about 200' from the house. The range extender is fed to a third building(metal) via wired (buried) connection approx 300' long. The internet connection at the end of the run is marginally OK.

I'm wondering if there's anyway to boost it at any point along the line? We need a little more speed at the end of the run.

Thanks

300 feet is about the max length for wired Cat5 network connection. And don't forget to include the vertical length and the horizontal length, it might push it over 300 feet, and you'll get slower/marginal connection, but I've installed runs in the 300 to 350 ft range, and they worked and didn't have complaints from the clients.

If the connection at the second building is ok, but marginal at the third building, its the hard wired length that is causing the issue. First thing to check is how the internet does from that second building.

200' from linksys in house to outbuilding range extender is pushing it, I'm actually surprised you're getting a connection at all. I've never had a happy installation over 100 feet on range extenders. A better solution would be to run a hard wired from house to second building since that is under 300 feet, connect to a switch, then hard wire to 3rd building. If you were a paying customer I needed to support, that is how I would do it.

PC Mag did a test on range extenders, and the Linksy/Cisco RE1000 lost over 50% of it's throughput at 75ft, and was down to .1Mbs (from 15Mbs in same room) at 100 feet, and zero at 150 feet.

[chiloquinruss]

I had no signal at all in my shop from the house, got one of these and now I am fully connected. It plugs into the shop computer and boosts its RECEIVE signal from 0% connect to over 70% connect anywhere in my METAL shop (cheap too!). Russ

http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Wireless-Network-Adapter-Antenna/dp/B006JWMOOI/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1387508251&sr=1-13&keywords=usb+antenna+booster